What Doesn't Kill You Will Only Make You Stronger
by ShutMeintheLoonyBin
Summary: Tragedy strikes the Weasley family when Ron is hurt in a horrible car accident.  Things get worse fastcan Hermione hold on?  DH compliant, but with a few OCs various grandchildren. Please read and review!


A/N: I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters. Seriously, if I did, I'd be in an enormous mansion, lounging by the pool as legions of butlers bring me whatever I want. At any rate, I certainly wouldn't be here.

Ron and Hermione stood, arms linked, at Platform 9 and 3/4, watching the Hogwarts Express chug out of the station. Hugo chased after it, waving his arms frantically in hopes that Victoire, James, Albus, and Rose would see him.

Hermione sighed. _My firstborn, off to Hogwarts already. Next thing I know, she'll be married with a little redheaded baby._

Ron smiled._ My little Rosie, off to Hogwarts already. Hope I told her not to annoy Peeves._

Hugo came sprinting back to them, panting, as the Express finally faded to a scarlet dot in the distance. Hermione ruffled his hair affectionately and took his hand.

"Well, there's no sense in standing here anymore. Shall we go to the Burrow? I think everyone else has gone already."

Ron nodded and led them through the barrier and back to the car-a Ford Anglia, just like the one he and Harry had crashed into the Whomping Willow. He held the door open for Hermione and then seated himself.

"Seatbelt, Hugo dear." Hermione, ever the watchful mother, reminded Hugo. Guiltily, Ron buckled his seatbelt as well. Hermione insisted, and the Muggle police were rather aggravating. No matter that he could simply perform a Cushioning Charm if there was actually any need.

Ron smoothly steered the Ford out of the busy parking lot and out onto the road, which was clogged with a traffic jam.

"No."

"I haven't even asked!"

"It doesn't matter, I know what you would have asked."

"Well, I don't see the harm. We'll just cast an Disillusionment Charm and levitate the car to the head of the lane. These Muggles are so unobservant, they won't even notice."

"Are you saying that Muggles are so blind that they wouldn't notice an entire car just disappear into nothing?"

"No, no-"

"Dad, move." Hugo spoke, ending their spat.

Indeed, the cars before them had slowly started inching their way up, anticipating the green light. Finally, the lights changed, and all the cars accelerated. Ron pressed the gas pedal happily and sped off.

Hermione tensed. She could sense something was wrong. A horrible feeling had just come over her-it was like intense dread, like the kind she had gotten before her water broke when Rose was born, or just before Harry told them Dumbledore had died. She knew, without knowing exactly how, that something dreadful, something horribly painful was about to come.

And then, all of a sudden, she knew why.

"RON!!! STOP!!!!!"

An enormous, eighteen-wheeler truck lurched down the road perpendicular to theirs. It veered from side to side; the driver was obviously drunk out of his mind. Ron, in the middle of the intersection, turned his head just in time to see an enormous metal wall coming at him.

And then it all went dark.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Mrs. Weasley was in her element. She was never so happy as when her armies of children, children-in-law, grandchildren, and various honorary family members were all crowded into the Burrow. Of course, she was upset about the older kids leaving, but that was no excuse not to throw a wonderful party!

Bill sat at the scarred old oak kitchen table, chatting with Harry. George was showing Charlie, Matthieu and Antoine, Bill and Fleur's twin boys, the latest from the shop. All four were roaring with laughter.

Ginny, Fleur, and Katie were outside, watching the younger children. Teddy lounged on a chaise near them, apparently lost in thought.

"He's thinking of Victoire, of course."

Fleur smiled at her sister-in-law.

"Oui, the children are so in love. It is very sweet, is it not?"

Katie agreed. "Yes, so sweet. Hasn't everyone always known they would end up together?"

"Yes, Harry set up a betting pool with Ron and George on what year and season they would finally figure it out. The bet is up to seventy Galleons."

Teddy listened to the women chat about him and Victoire. In truth, he knew very well that he loved her; he was just far too afraid of rejection to find out if she loved him as well.

The other children had no such worries. Miranda, Charlie's daughter, and Lizzie, George and Katie Bell's younger daughter, were playing dolls in a corner of the huge yard. Five year old Camille chased after her older cousins, Arthur and Daniel, who were zooming around on their new broomsticks, courtesy of Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. Stella, Percy's eight year old daughter was reading next to a gnome hole and absentmindedly petting a tame gnome.

Percy himself had his head in the fire, talking to a friend of a friend who needed a favor. He had risen quickly in the Ministry with a bit of help from Kingsley, and once he got his priorities straight.

Percy's wife, Penelope, and Charlie's wife, Isabelle, were helping the two matriarchs of the family with lunch. Andromeda and Mrs. Weasley were happily bustling around and ordering the other two about.

"Penny, sweetie, would you grab that spoon for me? And Isabelle, do mash those potatoes. Make sure they're smooth, you know Stella hates it when they're lumpy. Andromeda, will you go tell Arthur to stop tinkering with all that Muggle rubbish, and help Bill set up the picnic tables? Oh, watch out, that soup is about to boil over!"

Mrs. Weasley (the first, and most important one, of course, as there were six of them by now) glanced at the clock to check where Ron, Hermione, and Hugo were. The clock had been expanded until all three generations, both blood related and not, were represented completely. Mrs. and Mr. Weasley's hands, smiling benignly(Mrs. Weasley's hand was pointing at 'BEING BOSSY'), presided at the very top with Andromeda. Going left, you saw the Weasley's, oldest to youngest, with their spouses in between. Next were the grandchildren and Teddy, smiling or scowling at the viewer depending on their moods and generable agreeableness. And after them came all the members of the former Order of the Phoenix that were closest to the Weasleys. Kingsley, Neville, Luna, and Minerva McGonagall all had places on this wondrous clock. But Mrs. Weasley wasn't focusing on them.

She gasped. The other three rushed over to her.

"Molly, what's wrong?"

Speechless, she gestured at the clock.

Andromeda, Penelope, and Isabelle surveyed the clock. Their hands were pointing at 'IN THE KITCHEN,' while the other women's were at 'RELAXING.' Teddy's was at 'LOST IN THOUGHT' while the majority of the children's pointed to 'PLAYING,' though Stella's hand was the sole one at 'STUDYING' and Bill and Fleur's daughter Camille was at 'ANNOYED.' Of course, the kids at Hogwarts's hands were on 'TRAVELING.' However, they soon saw what had made Mrs. Weasley so terrified.

Hermione's hand was on 'PANICKING.' Hugo's was on 'TERRIFIED.' But the very worst was Ron's.

Ron's hand was pointing to 'MORTAL PERIL.'

Yet Another A/N: I hope you liked it. Please review, it makes me happy. Plus, to those who do review, a giant slice of chocolate cake!


End file.
